The number one left-wing daily thinks the US Defense Department saved the conference proposed by the Hungarian Embassy because, unlike the State Department, they are satisfied with Hungary’s performance.

Népszabadság’s Gábor Horváth writes that the Pentagon is more appreciative towards Hungary than either the White House or the State Department, and that is why the National Defense University has agreed to host the conference on the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution. Népszabadság reported on Wednesday that the Wilson Center (whose board members are appointed by the White House) refused to host the venue (see BudaPost, August 18). Népszabadság suspected that one reason was the possibility that the meeting would be attended by PM Orbán whose policies have been often criticised by the State Department. The military, on the other hand, has regularly tried to restrain those diplomats who tended to accuse Hungary of infringing democratic principles. The Pentagon argues that Hungary has always fulfilled requests by the United States, ceded its Pápa airfield to the US Airforce and is stationing a high number of soldiers in Iraqi Kurdistan, Horváth writes.